Vol. 1, No. 1 (Sep. 1975)

Mel)l)ol)ite
Historia"
Volume I, Number I
September, 1975
Published by the History-Archives Committee of the Conference of Mennonites
10
Canada
Mennonite Historian
and you
This photo oj Cornelius Hiebert (left) and his brother John was taken around
19/0. Provided courtesy oj Dr. Paul Hiebert. Carman, Manitoba.
With this first issue of the Mennonite
Historian, the History-Archives Committee
is beginning a new project. This publication
is designed to meet a number of objectives.
First, we hope that it can become a
medium for sharing materials of historical
value to the general reading public. We do
not intend to duplicate scholarly periodicals;
rather we expect to publish letters, pictures,
shorter articles, excerpts from diaries,
genealogical information, and other suitable
material. In this way we hope to fill a need
that is not being met by existing
publications.
Second, we wish to provide a forum for
the various people involved in some form of
Mennonite research to present their findings. These can be in the form of short
research notes, or summaries. In this area
too we hope this will provide an avenue of
expression for many whom we now do not
hear.
Third, we hope that The Mennonite
Historian will become an important vehicle
of communication between the groups and
individuals who are interested in the various
aspects of Mennonite experience both past
and present. In future issues we expect to include articles in Englsih, German and LowGerman.
We hope that this publication can help to
acquaint the readers with the wisdom of the
past so that it can interact with the
challenges of the future to produce a creative
present. John Friesen
Cornelius Hiebert: MLA (1905-1909)
Cornelius Hiebert (left, on photo) was
born in 1862 in the Bergthal Colony
(Schoenfeld) of south Russia. He came to
Manitoba with his parents, Johann (18291904) and Helena Toews Hiebert (18301896), on the S.S. Sardinian, when he was
13 years of age (1876). Also with the family
were nine brothers and sisters, Peter,
Abram, Johann, Helena, Philip, Catherine,
Anna, Maria, and Julius.
The family first settled on the East
Reserve, and then moved to the West
Reserve where they took up a homestead in
the school district of Neuhoffnung (now
New Hope) about five miles west of Altona.
Two brothers of Cornelius, Peter and
Johann (right on photo) taught school for
several years, and the latter married Maria
Penner, a daughter of Erdmann Penner.
Erdmann was a merchant from Tannenau
near Niverville, who later opened up new
businesses at Gretna, Rosenort, Morden,
and other locations in the West Reserve.
Cornelius married Aganetha Dick in
1888, and they had three children, Anna
Helen, John Cornelius and Metha. They
lived for a time at Gretna and also Holland,
Man. In the latter town C. Hiebert operated
a mill. In 1900 the Hieberts moved to
Didsbury, Alberta, where Cornelius became
a general merchant, dealing also in lumber
and implements. From 1901-1904 he was
overseer (mayor) of the village of Didsbury.
Anna, the older of the daughters, served as
head nurse of the Children's Hospital in
Continued on next page
Hiebert cont'd.
The CMC history-archives
committee
Calgary for many years. Cornelius, Jr.,
studied law and later became mayor of Nanton, Alta.
In 1905 Cornelius, Sr., became an MLA
in the newly-formed Alberta legislature,
serving the Rosebud constituency as the sole
provincially-elected representative of the
Conservatives. Among other things, he supported prohibition and favored the flying of
the Canadian flag over every school.
Dissatisfied with various government
measures, he ran as an Independent in his
second term so that he would be better able
to criticize government measures which he
could not support. In 1909 he lost out to
another Mennonite, J. E. Stauffer, of the
Mennonite Brethren in Christ, who
represented the Liberals at that time.
Mr. Hiebert returned to Didsbury, and
eventually moved to Calgary. For some
years he was an active Mason. He passed
away with cancer in 1919, and the burial
took place in the Didsbury cemetery. An
acquaintance had this to say after his passing, "He was a friendly man as I can
remember him. He came to my parents one
day when they were butchering pigs, and we
youngsters had much fun with him that
day." LK
Sources: The Didsbury Booster, Echoes
of an Era. History of Didsbury and District
(1969); Aron Sawatzky, "The Mennonites
of Alberta and their Assimilation", unpublished MA thesis, University of Alberta,
(1964); the Mennonite immigrant passenger
lists (1874-1880); the church books of the
Bergthaler Church of Manitoba; notes by
Dr. Paul Hiebert, Carman, Manitoba;
Frank H. Epp's book, Mennonites in
Canada 1786-1929 (1974).
New Books
Jan Gleysteen, ed. The Drama of the Martyrs. Herald Press, Scottdale, PA, 1975.
144 pp. $5.95. Published by Mennonite
Historical Associates, and depicting the
104 engravings of Jan Luyken first
published' in Martyrs Mirror. Order from
LMC Historical Society, 2215 Mill
Stream Rd., Scottdale, PA 17602.
Schaefer, Paul J. Woher? Wohin? Mennoniten! Vol. 2. 84 pp. Paperback. $2.00.
An enlarged reprint of the first edition
published in 1942. Published by MCC
(Canada). This section deals with the
story of Mennonites in Russia, and
beginnings in North America. Order
from Fellowship Bookcentre, 302
Kennedy St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B
2M6.
continued on page 3
Mennonite
Genealogy, Inc.
One aspect of Mennonite history in which
the expert and the novice can both particpate in a special, personal way is the compiling of their genealogy. These genealogies
provide basic information, not only for the
historian, but also for theologians,
sociologists and writers of a variety of other
valuable literature.
Across Canada and the United States
Mennonites from high school to retirement
age are writing genealogies. Results can be
seen in about 400 family registers in our
library today. For two decades now the
records of Mennonite Genealogy Inc. have
been used by researchers in this field.
Anyone who has not heard of o.ur corporation, may want io become acquainted with
our program.
There are many private collections of
valuable historical material in Canadian
Mennonite homes today. Until 1967, Mennonite Genealogy Inc. could be labelled as
one of these. However, as this collection
grew, and the public demand increased, it
became necessary to seek larger facilities
and to become organized as a group. A
fireproof building was built and officially
opened in 1967. It is located in the town of
Steinbach at present.
Our work involves the gathering of Mennonite genealogical material and indexing
this information to make it easily accessible
to the researcher. We encourage anyone who
possesses such information, whether in family registers, biographies, diaries, or
photographs, to share it with us.
The library is staffed solely by volunteers
so it is impossible to undertake extensive
research of family histories by correspondence at the present time.
On these pages we would like to share
some of the prize possessions which are being stored here, and also report on new
material as it is received. We shall try to give
the newcomer to genealogy a few tips on
available sources of information, numbering
systems and sample family charts. It may
also be of interest to publish a family name
exhange for those who are researching the
same surnames. We will outline several sur-
The present history-archives committee of
the Conference of Mennonites in Canada
has been given two tasks to carry out. One is
to be alert to, and to promote, historical
concerns in our conference constitutency.
The other is to build up and administer the
archives of the Conference.
The goals for such endeavors were set
forth by the Conference as long as four
decades ago. In the I930s B. J. Schellenberg,
formerly of south Russia, collected considerable archival material by encouragement of Conference decisions to preserve
historical documentation. A Conference
Historical Committee now incorporated
into the H-A Committee came into being
later on. "
At CMBC Gerhard Lohrenz has, for
more than twenty years, worked at building
up an excellent Mennonite historical library
and archival collection. It also includes the
materials gathered by Schellenberg earlier.
For the past five years or so Henry H. Epp,
now of Vineland, Ontario, has spent time
promoting and developing the archives,
preparing a filing index, and encouraging
historical research. Lawrence Klippenstein
was appointed historian-archivist on Sept. I,
1974.
The history-archives committee presently
includes the following: Dr. Gerhard
Lohrenz, minister, teacher, and historian;
Adolf Ens, instructor at CMBC; Art Fast, a
Winnipeg school teacher; and chairman of
the Congregational Resources Board of the
Conference; John Friesen, instructor at
CMBC; Dr. Ted Regehr, professor at the
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon;
Dr. J. Winfield Fretz, professor, and former
president, of Conrad Grebel College,
Waterloo, Ontario; and A. Olfert, publisher,
of Clearbrook, B.C.
c51NABAPTIST
1525. <!MENNONITE
1975
'HERITA{,iE
names that are being pursued at present and
invite you to participate in this exchange
program. Your queries should be as brief as
possible, but include pertinent dates for
identification purposes, i.e. birth, death,
marriage, baptism dates and locations,
name of spouse, profession, etc. Please write
to Mennonite Genealogy Inc. Box 1086,
Steinbach, Manitoba. - Margaret Kroeker.
MENNONITE HISTORIAN is a bulletin of the History-Archives Committee, Conference of Mennonites in Canada. It is edited by
Lawrence Klippenstein and published at 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P OM4. All correspondence and materials should be
mailed to the above address.
Our congregational
historians
These persons have consented to help
gather historical material on the local level.
Such materials could include regular church
records like bulletins, membership directories, annual meeting reports, etc.; old
church books no longer in use; materials
dealing with the history of the congregation
(reports, letters, diaries, photos, etc.), and
other items worth preserving in the effort to
record the story of God's working in our
communities.
Congregational historians are appointed
by their congregations annually. It is hoped
that every congregation in the Conference
will be able to appoint at least one person to
serve in this way. The list below includes appointees whose names have been submitted
to the Conference archives office till now.
I. Ewanda Boehr - Zoar Mennonite
Church, Langham, Sask.
.
2. N. J. Kroeker - First United Mennonite Church, Vancouver, B.c.
3. N. N. Friesen - Bethel Mennonite
Church, Aldergrove, B.C.
4. John H. Epp - Zoar Mennonite
Church, Waldheim, Sask.
5. Vic Penner Altona Mennonite
Church, Altona, Manitoba.
6. Jacob Rempel - Sargent Ave. Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
7. Susan Epp - Zion Mennonite Church,
Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
8. Ruth Schroeder, Bergthaler Mennonite
Church, Altona, Manitoba.
9. Ingrid Regier, Niagara United Mennonite Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ont.
10. Betty Banman - Mount Royal Mennonite Church, Saskatoon, Sask.
II. Rev. Jacob Priess Springfield
Heights Mennonite Church, Winnipeg,
Man.
12. Lillian Epp - Nutana Park Mennonite
Church, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
13. Menno Lepp - Steinbach Mennonite
Church, Steinbach, Manitoba.
14. Carl Driedger - North Kildonan Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
15. Rudy Friesen - Schoenfelder Mennonite Church, Headingley, Manitoba.
16. Lena Harms - Mather Mennonite
Church, Mather, Manitoba.
17. H. H. Pauls and Brian Petkau Bergthaler Mennonite Church, Morden,
Man.
18. Gerhard Isaak - Sherbrook Mennonite Church, Vancouver, B.C.
19. Herbert P. Enns - United Mennonite
Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
20. Henry Koop - Springridge Mennonite
Church, Glenwook, Alberta.
21. Rudy Williams - Grace Mennonite
Church, St. Catharines, Ontario.
22. John D. Rempel - Hague Mennonite
Church, Hague, Saskatchewan.
23. Peter J. Wiens - Ottawa Mennonite
Church, Ottawa, Ontario.
24. Frank Enns, Glenlea Mennonite
Church, Glenlea, Manitoba.
25. Ted Rempel
First Mennonite
Church, Edmonton, Alberta.
26. Nellie Rempel- St. Catharines United
Mennonite Church, St. Catharines, Ontario.
27. John Friesen, Fort Garry Mennonite
Fellowship, Winnipeg, Man.
28. Erica Ens First Mennonite,
Eyebrow, Sask.
29. Irene Klassen, First Mennonite Church,
Calgary, Alta.
Total appointed: Ontario - 5;
Manitoba - II; Saskatchewan - 7;
Alberta - 3; British Columbia - 3.
A description of the work (in yellow
pages) of such persons was mailed out to
pastors some months ago. Additional
copies are available upon request.
Research inquiries
• Bill Schroeder of 434 Sutton Avenue,
Winnipeg, Man. is seeking information on
the life and work of Cornelius Bubr of the
Bergthal Colony, in the Ukraine. Buhr
was one of the group of 12 Russian Mennonite delegates who visited Manitoba in
1873. His entire family emigrated to
Butterfield, Minnesota, around 1874.
• Peter Goertzen, of 12253-10I Street in
Edmonton, Alta. is doing some research
on the Russian Mennonite colony of the
Fuerstenland. Any information will be appreciated.
• John Friesen, of 600 Shaftesbury Blvd.,
Winnipeg, Man. is collecting documentary and manuscript material related to
the late Henry H. Ewert of the Mennonite
Collegiate Institute in Gretna, Manitoba.
Anything sent will be duplicated and
returned, if not to be donated.
• J. D. Robert Wiebe, of 1013-26th Ave.
S.E., Great Falls, Montana, 59404 is
working on a study of the Elder Johann
Wiebe of the West Reserve in Manitoba,
Canada. Family history materials will be
especially welcome.
• N. J. Kroeker, of 484 E. 50th Ave., Vancouver, RC. would appreciate information on the life 3lId work of Bernhard J.
ScheUenberg, archivist, formerly from
south Russia, and later of Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
• G. I. Peters, of the First Mennonite
Church, Greendale, B.C. is working on a
congregational history. Persons having
material on the subject should contact him
at 6385 Underhill Drive, R.R. I, Sardis,
B.C. VOX IYO.
Note: This column is open to any person
wishing to solicit information on research
projects, or other studies.
New books (cont.)
A Mennonite Historian's seminar was convened under the sponsorship of the CMC
History-Archives Committee on March 8.1975 at Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A bout forty persons joined the day-long sessions. A similar meeting is being
considered for the fall of the year. Photo: Rudy Regehr.
Mary Kornelsen. Give Me This Mountain.
Steinbach, Manitoba, 1975. 150 pp.
S3.50. Paperback. An autobiographical
sketch of a teaching career in
southeastern Manitoba Mennonite
schools. Order from Derksen Printers,
Steinbach, Manitoba, ROA 2AO.
Dr. Adam Giesinger. From Catherine to
Khrushchev. The Story of Russian Germans. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1974. 443
pp. Cloth. $12.00. Includes a significant
section on Mennonite communities in
Russia. Order from Fellowship Bookcentre, 302 Kennedy St., Winnipeg,
Manitoba R3B 2M6.
Dr. Hartmuth Froeschle, ed. Deutschkanadishes Jahrbuch. Toronto, Ontario,
1975. 293 pp. Cloth. SI5.00. A publication of the Historical Society of
Mecklenburg Upper Canada, Inc. Order
from Dr. Hartmuth Froeschle, S1.
Michael's College, 81 St. Mary St.,
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 114.
Mennonite Saengerfest '75
The 1916 council members for the Rural Municipa ity a
ine an were . to r.j: eter
Kroeker, Henry Penner. A. Sawatzky. HenryJ. Friesen. Isaac Hildebrand. A. P. Hiebert. A.
Hiebert and H. H. Hamm. The municipality was officially organized on the eastern portion of
the West Reserve. Southern Manitoba in 1891. Photo: Courtesy of Klaas Kroeker. Altona.
Man.
Notes and Comments
The story of a '
Mennonite town
Grunthal History 1874-1974, Grunthal,
Man. Grunthal History Book Committee,
1974, 241 pp. By Adolf Ens. Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
The series of centennial celebrations
which we have experienced since Canada's
one hundredth in 1967 has stimulated a keen
interest in local history. This is cause for rejoicing since it has led to the discovery and
preservation of much valuable archival and
historical material, and frequently, as in the
case of Grunthal, in the compilation and
publication of such materials. The Grunthal
History is an attractive volume describing
the first hundred years of one southeast
Manitoba community. Descriptions, largely
pictorial, of the neighbouring villages of
Bergfeld, Schoenenberg, Gnadenfeld,
Schoensee, Edenthal, and Kronsgard are also included.
No author or editor of the book is identified, and the highly uneven literary style
and quality of the text reflects this lack. The
best-written sectio~s are those which relate
only indirectly to Grunthal: on Mennonite
origins by P. J. B. Reimer; on Mennonites in
Russia by G. Lohrenz; on the journey to
Canada by Al Reimer; and chapters 2 and
13 reprinted from Abe Warkentin's.Reflections on our Heritage.
In a centennial history one looks for a
concentration on origins and early years.
The Grunthal book succeeds only partially
in this respect. The section on the Chortitzer
Church, the oldest and over a hundred year
period most important of Grunthal's four
church groups, is far too brief and sketchy.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that
Grunthal had, so to speak, a second beginning fifty years after the first one, when one
group left for Llltin America and another
arrived from Russia in the 1920's. This second beginning being more recent and hence
more vividly recollected by more people,
makes its presence felt in many parts of the
book. This is very evident, for example, in
the much more detailed description of the
beginnings of the Elim Church.
The chapter on education has only one
brief paragraph on the controversial introduction of public schools. A more detailed
look at this issue seems warranted in view
of the fact that a large part of the original
community left the country because of it. As
late as 1925 parents of the Goodwill and
Spencer School Districts were convicted under the School Attendance Act (see
Manitoba Free Press, 22, June 1925).
On the other hand, the book is to be commended for good and lengthy descriptions of
the practice of folk medicine, a subject that
"dry historians" would be more apt to
overlook.
For the outsider the series of photographs
of succeeding graduating classes or sports
teams becomes repetitive. M any of the other
pictures, however, are of general interest,
and some have considerable historical value.
Derksen Printers are to be commended
for a fine technical job in the printing, layout
and binding. Local historical committees
should be encouraged to look for similar
technical assistance by outside specialists in
the researching and writing of historical
books.
The Manitoba Mennonite Centennial
Committee is sponsoring its second
"Saengerfest" Oct. 27 at the Centennial
Concert Hall in Winnipeg. This "song
festival" will feature premiere performances
of new works by Winnipeg composers.
Esther Wiebe, Canadian Mennonite Bible
College faculty member, has composed a
special piece entitled "Maranatha", for
orchestra, soloists and choir. It is her comment on 450 years of Anabaptist history.
Also a new composition is one by Peter
Klassen, Mennonite Brethren Bible College
faculty member. He has composed a series
of three anthems for choir. These choral
numbers will be conducted by George Wiebe
of the Canadian Mennonite Bible College
faculty.
In addition the program will include
choral music by Ralph Vaughn Williams,
Geoffrey Shaw and Larry Warkentin. There
will also be a selection of German hymns
and anthems.
The adult choir will be made up of singers
from church choirs in Winnipeg and surrounding area.
The evening's program will be rounded
out with selections by a massed children's
choir prepared by Helen Litz, conductor of
the Mennonite Children's Choir.
Rehersals are scheduled to begin in
several locations in early September. Later
all groups will rehearse in Winnipeg for the
performance on October 27.
Tickets for the Saengerfest will be
available at ATO and CBO for $2.50, 3.50,
4.50, and 5.50.
Jan Gleysteen Tour
The Mennonite Centennial Committee
and the History-Archives Committee sponsored an Anabaptist Heritage tour by artisthistorian Jan Gleysteen on September 5-12.
Jan is with the Mennonite Publishing House
in Scottdale, and is lecturing widely with
slides to tell the Anabaptist story. He shared
it with about 1000 persons in various high
schools and churches of Manitoba.
Audiences were enthusiastic everywhere he
went.
To Be Published Soon
A book on the history of the village of
Reinland, Manitoba entitled
REINLAND;
An Experience in Community
by
Peter D. Zacharias
Order from:
Reinland 'Centennial Committee
Box 218, R.R. I
Winkler, Manitoba
ROG 2XO